12/12/05---Becoming my father......slowly

So this past Saturday, we finally had the party that we had promised Andy & Kellie a few months ago.  The first time we scheduled it, we had this little storm called Wilma that, um.....postponed it.
So the party in question was held at the kids tae-kwon do school, which the instructors very graciously allowed us to use for the evening.  We had the place basically set up into two different rooms--the back room was set up with televisions and videogames--in other words, Andy's friends.  It was like a Star Trek convention.  The front of the place was where the stereo was located, blasting out the hip hop and rap music.  Oh boy, my favorite.  Anyway, that's where Kellie's friends, the "alledgedly" cool kids were located.  I found out that Kellie has a few friends that could definitely fall into the "hoochie mama" category.  For those of you who aren't familar with that term, its sort of like...a girl who's kinda trying to look like she's older, but also like she's, well.....
trashy and older.  The first of her friends that showed up looked like she was going down to South Beach to go clubbing, not going to a 13 year olds party.  Then she had another friend....a supposed "shy girl" who is in her tae-kwon do class, who apparently is dating another boy from the class (she's the same age as Kellie).  Kim and I had even laughed and said that the girl would end up making a perfect wife down the road for Andy, because she seemed so shy and was, according to her mom, just as much of a bookworm and quasi-nerdy as our son.  Well...let's just say, after her mom dropped her off....that the butterfly emerged from her cocoon.  She and her boyfriend were doing the whole slowdancing routine, the dirty dancing number...and...in my favorite moment of the evening....attempting to work their way out of the back exit to spend a little "quality time" with one another---alone.  Uh....no, I don't think so.
Kim & I were sitting out front for the most part, giving the kids (well, let's be honest--giving KELLIE) their space and allowing them to enjoy the time with their friends.
Finally, at one point Kim glanced behind and told me that I needed to look and see what was happening.  I went to turn, and was immediately chastized by my wife for being so OBVIOUS.

"No," she said, "you have to do it so she can't see you."

I turned and watched my daughter's first slow dance.  I was torn between enjoying this special moment for her....and that whole fatherly thing about wanting to know why that kid was so close to my daughter--hey, let's put a little space between the two of you there mister!  After it was over, I called my parents.  I told them that I was now paying for all that crap I had put them through when I was a kid.  My parents graciously told me that they didn't remember any sort of bad things.

Oh yeah, that's right.  I never did tell them about those things.  I wonder what I don't know about my daughter?

Later,
Jeff